Device for measuring the laterial forces required to release a ski boot from a ski toe clamp

ABSTRACT

A base plate is adapted to underlie a ski having a ski boot secured thereon by a conventional type of releasable binding having a toe clamp and a heel clamp. The base plate has a ski clamp to hold the ski in a fixed position. A horizontal slide on the base member is movable by a hand lever laterally toward and away from the ski. A vertical slide on the horizontal slide carries a horizontal plunger having a projecting end arranged to be pressed against one side of the sole of the ski boot adjacent the toe clamp by manipulation of the hand lever which operates the horizontal slide. The opposite end of the plunger deflects a diaphragm to displace hydraulic fluid into a maximum reading pressure gauge which is calibrated to indicate the force necessary to release the toe of the boot laterally from its toe clamp.

United States Patent [191 Frey [ Sept. 10, 1974 1 DEVICE FOR MEASURING THELATERIAL FORCES REQUIRED TO RELEASE A SKI BOOT FROM A SKI TOE CLAMP [76] Inventor: Max Frey, 3940 S. W. Altadena Ave., Portland, Oreg. 97201 [22] Filed: Mar. 13, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 340,918

[52] US. Cl 73/133 A [51] Int. Cl. G01] 5/03 [58] Field of Search 73/133 A, 139, 88 B [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examiner-Charles A. Ruehl Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Lee R. Schermerhorn [57 ABSTRACT A base plate is adapted to underlie a ski having a ski boot secured thereon by a conventional type of releasable binding having a toe clamp and a heel clamp. The base plate has a ski clamp to hold the ski in a fixed position. A horizontal slide on the base member is movable by a hand lever laterally toward and away from the ski. A vertical slide on the horizontal slide carries a horizontal plunger having a projecting end arranged to be pressed against one side of the sole of the ski boot adjacent the toe clamp by manipulation of the hand lever which operates the horizontal slide. The opposite end of the plunger deflects a diaphragm to displace hydraulic fluid into a maximum reading pressure gauge which is calibrated to indicate the force necessary to release the toe of the boot laterally from 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 2,680,967 6/1954 Newman 73/379 3,222,922 12/1965 Isaac 73/133 A 3,289,472 12/1966 Lipe et a 73/133 A 3,621,712 11/1971 Beyl 73/133 A FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS toe clamp- 2,006,825 8/1971 Germany 73/133 A f T c. B l V3 T I A r 5 fetaal or L- I & &\ x@;2as e'l l3 12 pm PAIENTED SEP 1 man DEVICE FOR MEASURING THE LATERIAL FORCES REQUIRED TO RELEASE A SKI BOOT FROM A SKI TOE CLAMP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a portable device for measuring the lateral force required to release a ski boot from a ski toe clamp, for use in adjusting the toe clamp according to the strength and capability of the skier.

Conventional ski bindings for securing a boot on a ski have a toe clamp which is adjusted to release the toe of the boot in response to a predetermined lateral force on the toe, and a heel clamp which is adjusted to release the heel in response to a predetermined upward force. These clamps must be initially adjusted to suit the strength and capability of the skier and may have to be re-adjusted from time to time in the interest of safety and to allow for changing conditions such as different types of skiing and increasing strength and skill of the skier.

Portable devices for testing the ski toe clamps have heretofore been less accurate and reliable than desired because of reliance on spring deflection to measure the applied force. Devices having greater accuracy and reliability have been too large and expensive for the personal use of the skier. There is a need for an improved and small portable device which may be used conveniently by the skier to adjust his bindings from time to time in order to avoid premature release on one hand or injury from failure to release on the other hand.

Objects of the invention are, therefore, to provide an improved portable device for measuring the lateral force required to release a ski boot from a ski toe clamp and to provide a device of the type described which is highly accurate and reliable and yet of relatively simple and inexpensive construction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present device is arranged to clamp a ski adjacent the toe of a boot which is secured on the ski by a conventional binding having releasable toe and heel clamps. A hand lever is arranged to reciprocate a horizontal slide laterally toward and away from the ski. A vertical slide on the horizontal slide provides height adjustment for a horizontal plunger which may be brought to bear against one side of the sole of the boot adjacent the toe clamp on the ski. The force applied to the plunger by the hand lever displaces hydraulic fluid from a diaphragm chamber into a maximum reading pressure gauge which indicates the value of the applied force at the instant of release of the boot from its toe clamp.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages will become apparent and the invention will be better understood with reference to the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated on the accompanying drawing. Various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts and certain features may be used without others. All such modifications within the scope of the appended claims are included in the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevation view with parts in section, showing a device embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view on the line 2--2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view; and

FIG. 4 is a view on the line 44 in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A base plate has a pad 11 to support the ski S against abutment 12. One edge of the ski is held against abutment 12 by a U-shaped clamp bar 13 which engages the opposite edge of the ski. The ski is equipped with a conventional type of binding (not shown) having releasable toe and heel clamps to secure the boot B on the ski. The toe clamp releases by the application of a predetermined lateral force on the toe of the boot and the heel clamp releases by the application of a predetermined upward force on the heel. The clamps are adjustable to vary the release force as desired.

At a short distance from the ski the side edges of base plate 10 are turned upward and flanged inward at 14 to form a pair of horizontal guide channels 15 for the parallel arms 16 of clamp bar 13. Arms 16 are of less height than channel 15. The ends of a U-shaped handle 20 are pivotally connected by a pin 21 with the inner ends of arms 16. Handle 20 is movable vertically between the top flanges 14 of channel 15 and the end portions of the handle adjacent pivot pin 21 are bevelled to provide fulcrum points 22 bearing against base plate 10.

When a ski is placed on pad 11, handle 20 is pushed inward in the direction of arrow 23 causing clamp bar 13 to engage the edge of the ski and hold it against abutment 12. Then when handle 20 is pressed downward in the direction of arrow 24, the fulcrums 22 raise the pivot pin 21 and frictionally engage the upper corners of the inner ends of clamp arms 16 against the undersides of flanges 14 to hold the clamp 13 against the ski.

Flange plates 25 welded on the outside of channels 15 provide a pair of channels 26 to receive the outtumed lower edge flanges 27 of a horizontal slide 30. Each channel 26 is lined with a low friction plastic slide bearing 31, such as Teflon, to facilitate sliding movement. Slide 30 is reciprocated by a U-shaped handle 32 mounted on pivot pins 33 in channels 15 and flange plates 25. Pins 34in handle 32 engage vertical slots 35 in side wall portions of the slide 30. When handle 32 is rotated in the direction of arrow 36, the horizontal slide 30 is shifted to its broken line position at 30a. Slide 30 preferably comprises a U-shaped metal plate having a flat top portion and vertical side portions as shown.

A vertical slide 40 is mounted on a horizontal guide pin 41 which is movable in a pair of vertical slots 42 in the opposite side walls of horizontal slide 30. A screw 45 joumaled for rotation in the top wall of horizontal slide 30 has screw threaded engagement with vertical slide 40 to stabilize the vertical slide and provide vertical adjustment. Vertical slide 40 carries a horizontal plunger 46 which is adjustable up and down by screw 45 in a range between an upper position at 46a and a lower position at 46b.

Plunger 46 is slidable in a horizontal bore 47 in the vertical slide 40, the plunger being retained by a circumferential groove 48 which receives the pin 41, the groove 48 being wider than pin 41 to allow a range of longitudinal movement of the plunger. The inner end of plunger 46 is arranged to engage a diaphragm 49 which closes one side of a diaphragm chamber 50 in the vertical slide 40. A maximum reading pressure gauge 51 is connected to chamber 50.

When a thin ski with a small boot is placed on the pad 11, the plunger is lowered by screw 45 to its position at 46b so as to engage the edge of the sole of the boot adjacent the toe clamp on the ski. When the ski is thick and the boot is large, the plunger may be raised as high as the position at 46a, if necessary. The ski is clamped and stabilized by pushing handle in the direction of arrow 23 and then pivoting it downward in the direction of arrow 24 toward the supporting surface for base plate 10. Then with one hand holding handle 20 down, the other hand pushes handle 32 forward in the direction of arrow 36 and applies increasing force until plunger 46 slides the boot laterally out of its toe clamp as indicated at B.

The dial on pressure gauge 51 indicates the increasing force applied by the plunger until the boot is released, allowing the indicator on the pressure gauge to return to zero. The maximum indicator in the gauge remains at the maximum pressure that was developed and then may be returned manually to zero in preparation for the next test on the opposite side of the boot. Since plunger 46 is not spring actuated it does not forcefully eject the boot from the ski when the toe clamp releases. This is an objectionable feature of spring operated devices.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A device for measuring the lateral force required to release a ski boot from a ski toe clamp comprising an elongated base plate having one end portion adapted to underlie a ski having a boot secured thereto by releasable ski bindings, an upstanding abutment on the extremity of said one end portion arranged to engage one edge of the ski, a ski clamp slidable on said base plate to engage the opposite edge of the ski, a handle for actuating said ski clamp, a horizontal slide on said base plate, a handle for moving said horizontal slide toward and away from said ski, a vertical slide on said horizontal slide, a horizontal plunger slidably mounted in said vertical slide and having a projecting end arranged to engage the edge of the sole of the boot when said horizontal slide is moved toward the ski, a hydraulic fluid chamber mounted on said vertical slide and connected with a maximum reading pressure gauge, and a diaphragm closing one side of said pressure chamber, the opposite end of said plunger engaging said diaphragm to pressurize fluid in said chamber when the projecting end of said plunger is pressed against said edge of the boot sole.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, said ski clamp comprising a U-shaped bar having end portions slidable in channels in said base plate, said clamp handle comprising a U-shaped bar having its ends pivotally connected to the ends of said clamp bar, and fulcrums on said handle bar arranged to bear against said base plate and bind said ends of said clamp bar against the upper sides of said channels when said handle is pivoted on said pivotal connections.

3. A device as defined in claim 2, said clamp handle being slidable with said clamp for moving said clamp toward and away from the ski.

4. A device as defined in claim 2, said channels comprising upwardly and inwardly bent side edge portions of said base plate.

5. A device as defined in claim 1, said handle for moving said horizontal slide comprising a U-shaped member pivotally mounted at its ends to said base plate, horizontal pins mounted in said handle, and vertical slots in said horizontal slide receiving said pins.

6. A device as defined in claim 1, said horizontal slide comprising a plate bent in U shape having a top portion and vertical side portions, a horizontal flange on the lower edge of each side portion, and channels on opposite sides of said base plate receiving said flanges and providing bearings for the movement of said slide.

7. A device as defined in claim 6 including a horizontal guide pin in said vertical slide, vertical slots in said side portions of said horizontal slide receiving said guide pin, and a vertical screw having threaded engagement with said vertical slide and journaled in said top portion of said horizontal slide for raising and lowering said vertical slide and plunger.

8. A device as defined in claim 7 including a circumferential groove in said plunger, said guide pin extending through said groove to retain said plunger. 

1. A device for measuring the lateral force required to release a ski boot from a ski toe clamp comprising an elongated base plate having one end portion adapted to underlie a ski having a boot secured thereto by releasable ski bindings, an upstanding abutment on the extremity of said one end portion arranged to engage one edge of the ski, a ski clamp slidable on said base plate to engage the opposite edge of the ski, a handle for actuating said ski clamp, a horizontal slide on said base plate, a handle for moving said horizontal slide toward and away from said ski, a vertical slide on said horizontal slide, a horizontal plunger slidably mounted in said vertical slide and having a projecting end arranged to engage the edge of the sole of the boot when said horizontal slide is moved toward the ski, a hydraulic fluid chamber mounted on said vertical slide and connected with a maximum reading pressure gauge, and a diaphragm closing one side of said pressure chamber, the opposite end of said plunger engaging said diaphragm to pressurize fluid in said chamber when the projecting end of said plunger is pressed against said edge of the boot sole.
 2. A device as defined in claim 1, said ski clamp comprising a U-shaped bar having end portions slidable in channels in said base plate, said clamp handle comprising a U-shaped bar having its ends pivotally connected to the ends of said clamp bar, and fulcrums on said handle bar arranged to bear against said base plate and bind said ends of said clamp bar against the upper sides of said channels when said handle is pivoted on said pivotal connections.
 3. A device as defined in claim 2, said clamp handle being slidable with said clamp for moving said clamp toward and away from the ski.
 4. A device as defined in claim 2, said channels comprising upwardly and inwardly bent side edge portions of said base plate.
 5. A device as defined in claim 1, said handle for moving said horizontal slide comprising a U-shaped member pivotally mounted at its ends to said base plate, horizontal pins mounted in said handle, and vertical slots in said horizontal slide receiving said pins.
 6. A device as defined in claim 1, said horizontal slide comprising a plate bent in U-shape having a top portion and vertical side portions, a horizontal flange on the lower edge of each side portion, and channels on opposite sides of said base plate receiving said flanges and providing bearings for the movement of said slide.
 7. A device as defined in claim 6 including a horizontal guide pin in said vertical slide, vertical slots in said side portions of said horizontal slide receiving said guide pin, and a vertical screw having threadeD engagement with said vertical slide and journaled in said top portion of said horizontal slide for raising and lowering said vertical slide and plunger.
 8. A device as defined in claim 7 including a circumferential groove in said plunger, said guide pin extending through said groove to retain said plunger. 